Rib Injuries

[P-Jay]

Anyone an expert on rib pain?

I had a pretty high speed Mountain Bike crash on Saturday, nothing unusual in that for me, came down on my left side, elbow/forearm knee/shin armour did it's job so apart from the odd cut bruise.

But I also hit my ribs pretty hard, again this is something I've done many times, but before it's been a case of a huge horrible looking yellow/purple bruise a couple of days of really bad pain then it's ok again.

This time is very different, almost zero bruising, in fact nothing much to look at other than a few scrape marks, some swelling, but not much and it didn't get warm/red like normal swelling.

It just doesn't seem to be healing up, it seems more muscular, the pain when I have to stand-up or try to lay on my back to sleep is pretty sharp and comes from under the ribs and shoot up my sternum and back close to the centre of my body.


I haven't gone to the docs about it, they always say the same thing, "we could x-ray, but it doesn't matter if they're broken or not, the cure is the same rest" but I'm flying off to Canada in 9 days times for a Mountain Biking Holiday.

Anyone recommend any cures for it?

[jas xjr]

I have broken my ribs three times. Sounds like you have too. There is not a lot you can do other than let them heal.
Just try to rest as much as possible. I have had them seem to repair themselves only for them to break again whilst showering

[Alex]

It only hurts when I laugh.

[P-Jay]

I *hope* I haven't broken anything, I don't think I have, I've been googling the symptoms for the last hour or so - something a self prescribed hypochondriac should never do - I think I've hurt my intercostal muscles.

I've isolated the bit that hurts and I can prod and move the offending rib, doesn't really hurt to do so and it flexes as it should, or at least it flexes like its opposite number on the right.

It doesn’t hurt when I laugh, cough or breath very deeply (there is a little bit of discomfort at the very bottom of a really deep breath) it does hurt if I jump up and down.

I picked up some Arnica at lunch and I'm hoping for the best for next weekend, it's a bit of a special trip, forgetting the silly amount of expense it's the culmination of 2 and a bit years recovery from a huge crash I had that meant I couldn't go on the last trip, my paranoia knows no bounds.

[Burrow01]

I went over the handlebars of a DH bike a few years ago, winded and knocked myself out.

Had some red patches and bruising on my back, but basically could get about etc

Couple of days later could not get out of bed - massive back pain. Went to hospital and they diagnosed soft tissue damage and prescribed pain killers. Took a couple of months to really clear

Went to hospital last week for a routine X-Ray - spoke to the Dr and they said that the X-Rays were very clear, could see where I had broken 3 ribs a while ago......

[soda]

P-Jay said:

I *hope* I haven't broken anything, I don't think I have...

I can prod and move the offending rib, doesn't really hurt to do so and it flexes as it should...

It doesn’t hurt when I laugh, cough or breath very deeply

You'll be fine, I've broken ribs a few times coming off the bike and there is no ignoring it when you cough or sneeze

Last big off I had resulted in a couple of broken ribs. Still found it quite painfull to breathe the next day, turned out to be half a lung collapsed (just to give you something else to worry about )